Cobra GRT finish the seasons’ racing on a high
Date Posted: 24/10/2012
The MDL Hamble Big Boat Championships was run on in conjunction with first and third weekend of the Garmin Winter Series. Gill Race Team, Cobra, was racing in the IRC Class (Rating Above 1.080) and finished in 2nd Place overall.
The first weekend (6-7th October 2012) was plagued with light and fluky winds, all classes only managed to get in two of the scheduled four races on Saturday in a decreasing breeze that set the scene for the weekend. In the eight-boat IRC fleet, there were wins for the J/122 Joopster and the Ker40 Magnum 3. Cobra, Gill Race Team, performed steadily with a 4th and 3rd place.
Sunday saw a battle between the gradient northerly and a light southeasterly, which cancelled each other out for much of the morning as the fleet waited under an AP. The race team managed to get the Big Boat championships fleet away before the wind stalled again. In IRC class, Neil Kipling’s Joopster won Sunday’s race, Cobra GRT, not far behind took 2nd place on Sunday, but Joopster took the top spot overall for the first weekend.
The second and final weekend of racing offered some stunning sailing conditions despite the appalling forecast. The race committee were greeted with a mirror calm mill pond as they motored out to the race course, and no-one really expected to get any racing in. But competitors couldn’t believe their luck as 4-5 knots of southeasterly filled in after an hour’s postponement, allowing the race team to get four races in from a startline near Wight Vodka.
The Farr 52 Toe in the Water dominated the IRC >1.080 class, pushed hard by Joopster, Cobra Gill Race Team and Chaos – with Chaos winning the third race of the day. After a slight hiccup in the first race of the day Cobra GRT picked up their game and brought in a second in the second race of the day.
On Sunday, a good northeasterly 10-15 knots was forecast, and, unlike Saturday, that was exactly what the weather gods served up. Racing started from the vicinity of Sunsail Racing buoy at low tide, with courses cascading down the East Solent in a sluicing flood tide. The MDL Hamble Big Boat Championships fleet raced alongside the main Garmin Hamble Winter Series fleet, with two races for all classes.
Neil Kipling’s Joopster had a first and a second, putting them top of the IRC >1.080 class followed closely by Cobra GRT, only two points behind in second place overall, after a consistently solid performance on the last day of racing.
Overall Results.
1 Joopster
2 Cobra GRT
3 Chaos
For full results and reports see:
hamblewinterseries.com
MDL Hamble Big Boat Championship first weekend report
Final MDL Hamble Big Boat Championship weekend report
Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week 2012
Date Posted: 30/08/2012
Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week 2012 provided some great racing conditions with sunshine and good breeze for the majority of the regatta. The official merchandise range proved a huge success, and it was great to see so many crews sporting both the Race Collection and new Keelboat gear on and off the water. The Cowes Yacht Haven was a busy hub of activity at the end of racing when the crews all converged for post-sailing drinks, a spot of shopping or to listen to the musical offerings on the Gill Stage.
Newly appointed members of Gill Race Team, Cobra, a Summit 40, owned by Mike and Seb Blair and helmed by Freddie Hall competed in IRC Class 1. This is the first season on the new boat for the Cobra crew who have been sailing together since 2001. Having recently competed in the Brewin Dolphin Commodore’s Cup the crew really pulled together for the weeks’ racing and came 8th in a class of 21 boats.
Sarah Allan was representing GRT in the SB20 Class, despite only competing in the first half and missing three days’ sailing the crew still managed to gain a 12th place overall out of a class of 27 boats.
We were also proud to be associated with the Sisterhood in their 2012 ‘mission’ which was to compete at Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week. All in the name of charity a team of novices pulled together to form an all-female crew on a J/122 skippered by Susan Glenny (the only pro on the boat). Their high profile meant much media attention with articles in the Evening Standard and the Telegraph sporting the Crosswind Jacket. The girls finished the week in 21st position, in a class of 35. Not bad for a bunch of amateurs!
Ladies Day on Thursday 16 August saw Annie O'Sullivan of Girls For Sail win the coveted Ladies Day Trophy for her efforts over the last 13 years in getting more women into the sport of sailing. Along with her trophy she was presented with a Gill Hooded Pro Softshell Jacket.
One of the highlights of the Week was the close competition between the under 25 year-olds racing for the newly introduced Aberdeen Asset Management Under 25's Trophy. The trophy was won by William Goldsmith on the J/80 Exess following a series of second places in her class throughout the Week and a win on Thursday. William (19) from Maldon, Essex is a member of the British Keelboat Academy, which Gill is the official clothing supplier. Commenting on the team's win and the week's racing, William said: "It has been a fantastic week and to win this trophy is unbelievable. It makes all our hard work to get here, really worthwhile."
A fantastic week was rounded up with a spectacular firework display on Friday night. We look forward to next year!
